The Peter & Paul Snowden-trained Bodyguard is set for the Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) in a fortnight off an impressive season return winning the 2024 Blue Diamond Prelude for colts and geldings at Caulfield on Saturday.

2024 Blue Diamond Prelude (C&G) winner Bodyguard was excellent first-up at Caulfield. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.

All the money in betting on this year’s Group 3 $300,000 Blue Diamond Prelude (C&G) (1100m) was on stablemate High Octane after his impressive Preview win on Australia Day.

Deep Field colt High Octane ($2.30F) however was the hard luck story of the race with the heavily-backed favourite never getting a clear crack at them getting caught up throughout from barrier one to eventually finish well out of the money in fifth.

I Am Invincible colt Bodyguard ($4.20) meanwhile was given a peach of a ride by Mark Zahra who read the play perfectly, finding cover at a key stage after jumping wider out from gate nine before settling in fourth the outside to get a lovely trail in on the back of Stay Focused.

Zahra then launched on the straight with Bodyguard in the clear and charging home strong down the outside having saved energy for a big late burst.

He was too strong over the final 150m flying home to finish over the top of the brave Phillip Stokes-trained Stay Focused ($3.40) who held for second on the back of his winning debut at Geelong last month.

The Snowdens also rounded out the trifecta with their Capitalist colt Homes A Court ($15) running third at a big price after a lead-up second in the Preview.

It was a pivotal performance by the Group 1-bound two-year-old Bodyguard who remains undefeated having won his debut in the Listed Maribyrnong Trial (1000m) by two lengths at Flemington last October.

“It was the perfect draw, first time at Caulfield, perfect draw,” co-trainer Peter Snowden, a three-time Blue Diamond Stakes winning horseman, told Racing.com.

“He’s a very professional horse this bloke and what he did late was good to see.

“Just the ease of how he did it. He’s a very talented horse.”

Written By (2018) was the last horse to complete the Blue Diamond Prelude (C&G) – Blue Diamond Stakes double.

Bodyguard has firmed into $6 and now occupies the third line of all-in 2024 Blue Diamond Stakes odds online at Ladbrokes.com.au to be the next.

Click here for the latest pre-field Blue Diamond Stakes 2024 betting markets.

2024 Blue Diamond Prelude (C&G) Results & Finishing Order

Table Credit: Racing Australia.

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